Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-08-14

II CAME IN Win GREcTAN MYTHOLOGY
AND STILL MAIsTAISs IN
SWAY.

ANB STILL MAINTAINS Trs
Sway.
Jean Jacques Rousseau, with an the
power OF his genius and all the warmth
u the interest which he took In youth.
exposed the lamentable corruption 81
taste which asserts that the figure Is
excellent in proportion 70 the waist.
The philosopher OF Geneva exercised
more social influence, perhaps. in bis
time than any writer In Europe, and
for awhile stays went out Of fashion In
France. Stiff eorsets were still worn
by the ladies Of the old court; bat sen
sible mothers came TO a common
agreement that their daughters should
subject themselves 10 this voluntary
punishment at as late q period as
possible, and not until their wedding
day were they ever permitted 10 wear
stays.
The revolution swept away the cor
set altogether, as wen as hoop petit
coats, hut stays again made their af-
pearance toward the end Of the First
Empire. A very harmless affair,
scarcely broader than the fascis
mamillares Of the Romans, was the
imperial bodice; for waists were then
worn excessively short, and the stays
we're without busks, stiff pieces Of
whalebone or steel plates. Modified,
however, rs they were, the strong
common sense OF Napoleon reyolted
against the re-introduction Of the gar
ment. " Corvisart said the ruler,
whose business It was 10 know every
thing, to his physician, 4" the corset Is
coquetry OF the worst taste; il tors
a II Il
genies; II means friyolity; Il heralds
deeanence."
These words were full OF sagacity,
but when the mysterious DEGREES 81
fashion--decrees which are as occult
as those Of fate-brought about the
revival Of1ong waists, tight stays be-
came once more the mode, aud the
female chest was bruised by that dread /
fnl instrument Of torment, the steel
busk which had originally been brought
into France in 1542 by Catherine de
Mediei. The busk was a long, fiat,
rigid strip OF wood or whalebone, and
sometimes of metal. Medical warn
ings, satire, sermons, edicts OF police,
were in vain
On the authority of the most emf
nent physicians aud surgeons of the
last two generations Il may be stated
that in the head tight lacing produces
Kiddiness, headache, pain in the eyes,
ringing IN the ears and bleeding At the
nose. Hahitual tight lacing viii pro
woke the most undesirable addition 10
the female complexion red nose.
Tight lacing IS quite as rhischievous In
the region 81 the thorax, 20 which Il
gives false support, impeding the de-
velopment Of the natural support. IL
displaces the bones. deranges the cir
eulation, induces scirrhus In the nam
mary glands, and ultimately cancer,
and IL Is n tolerably sure provocation
Of lung disease, palpitation OF heart,
and water In the chest. In the abdom-
inal region tight lacing may be reek-
oned upon with tolerable confidence to
bring on loss Of appetite, squeamish-
ness, indigestion, induration Of the
liver, melancholia, dropsy, and rup-
ture. Campin closely associated tight
lacing with squinting; Bonnaud said
that Il led TO polypus; Platner main
tanned that 10 tight laeing mothers an
healthy children were horn; Joseph
warned the lovers Of stiff corsets that
their children would be ugly; Wormes
remarked that one Of the triiiing neon
yeniences % tight lacine was swollen
feet; and Winslow showed that there
was an intimate connection between
tight laeing, curvature Of the spine and
hunchback.
Every scholar is aware that stays are
articles Of attire Of the very highest
antiquity, and that the uestus OF AgAle
was practically q corset. Some anti
quArians have even contended That the
gSrile which Juno wore when she
wished 70 appear her loveliest in the
eyes Of Jupiter was . pair Of stays.
have her body cravat adjusted very
tightly before she proceeded 10 pass =
happy evening in the suburb; while
in he reign Of Augustus an improved
corset was introduced called caStu-
la" II fitted closely 70 the form aud
had the agreeable addition Of a dress
mprover.
The ladies' STAYS Of the Middle Ages
were known as iustaucorps. and
subsequently As cotteShardies - bat
lSAbeau dc Bayiere. the consort Of
Charles vi % France. totally repu
dated stays. and, besides, laid i down
as q sumptuary canon that there
should be as little drapery as possible
between the nnc kfAce ard thv layc.
when the italian Catherine brought
in the execrAhle bask, which was first
II wood or Of ivory, the corset success
sively developed in rigfaity aud obdu-
racy It became q cage, Il became 3
cuiraSs, and i had % be 50 tightly laced
that the muscular power OF the ordt-
nary femme de ehamhre being in
adequate 10 the pulley-hauling requir-
ed. The court ladies used % send for
the strongest 81 the Forts de Ia Halle
20 tag Il their stay laces, and even
these athlete creatures could not ac-
complish their task 10 tho entire salts
faction OF their fashionable employers
without pressing one foot firmly against
the bod post IN order TO obtain tie ne
cesSary purchase or leverage. Thecor-
sets 81 the present dAy, whether they
be machine made Of hand-fashioned
from accurate measurement Of the Gus
toner, invariably present the same
general characteristics Of fastening IN
front and profusely honed az the sides /,
While at the hack there Is that disastrous
interStice, with It's permanent erisS-
Crass lacing. which can De pulled until
thR vain ard e4tiV Wfsar5ar cum r1lfs kflF{-